Applicant provides herein a conveyor unit particularly designed for what may be termed in-mass conveying with a discharge arranged to facilitate discharge of the material along the length of the conveyor and which discharge is particularly designed to facilitate in-mass conveying when the same is closed but also to insure full discharge when the same is open. The discharge also is designed specifically to accommodate full discharge without increasing the normal installation width of the unit.
In-mass conveying is a term related to the conveying of semi-solid materials such as grains, powders and the like. With conveyors utilized to transfer and convey such material, the helical screw or bucket type of conveyor are often utilized. With applicant's concept, conveying is accomplished through a driving member having a plurality of drive bars or the like thereon which drive bars are of a first predetermined height and the material may be well above this height but the conveying force is transmitted through the material and even though the height of the driving bars is quite low as compared to the height of the material, the entire material will be driven in-mass due to the coaction of the material itself.
With the conveying of material to which applicant's device is directed, that being grains, powders and other similar products, it is essential that the material not become contaminated by other materials. In other words, after use, the conveyor should be substantially self cleaning. In order to accomplish one factor of self cleaning, applicant provides an intermediate discharge which is of a specific design so that when the same is in a closed position, the material being conveyed to a normal end discharge will flow smoothly thereacross thus not interrupting the in-mass conveying concept and such discharge is free of ledges or capture areas for material passing thereover and will further, when open, insure total discharge of material being carried by the conveyor element.
With applicant's conveyor device the discharge unit is designed to underlie the conveyor and to open directly therebelow such that normally provided, outwardly pullable sides or slides are not necessary and therefore the intermediate discharge will not increase the required operating width of the unit.
The primary aspects and objects of applicant's invention are to provide a conveyor device particularly directed to the in-mass conveying of material and to provide an intermediate discharge in connection therewith which will insure complete discharge of material therefrom upon opening of the same but will insure continuous in-mass conveying of material thereover when the same is in closed position.
It is therefore an object of applicant's invention to provide a conveyor unit particularly designed for in-mass conveying of semi-solid materials and to provide a discharge therefore which may be arranged in position along intermediate portions of the length of the conveyor.
It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide a conveyor system for the in-mass conveying of various materials and particularly designed for the in-mass conveying of semi-solid materials in which drive members are provided to propel the material along a substantially smooth support area and wherein the drive members will provide a driving force to material of a greater height than the drive members.
It is a further object of applicant's invention to provide an intermediate discharge for conveyors which provides a pair of underlying doors normally cammed into a substantially flat position with the remaining support portion of the conveyor to provide a continuous, relatively unbroken surface for the in-mass conveying of materials thereacross.
It is still a further object of applicant's invention to provide a conveyor unit having an intermediate discharge which conveyor is provided with a driving member having a lower driving run normally supported by the door sections of the discharge when they are in their closed position and serving to properly guide the chain upwardly from the open area onto the remaining support floor of the conveyor when the doors are in open position such that travel of the drive member across the open area will cause a minimal amount of disturbance in the smooth flow of the driving section.
It is still a further object of applicant's invention to provide an underlying discharge to be intermediately mounted along the length of a conveyor and opening directly therebelow such that the discharge unit will not require any greater width than the conveyor itself to provide a full discharge opening to the conveyor.